Pure cutaneous lupus erythematosus in a population of African descent in French Guiana: a retrospective population-based description.

The objective of this study was to examine the characteristics of cutaneous lupus erythematosus, excluding systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), in patients of African descent. Indeed, since the description of subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE), which had been included in chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CCLE), there has been no description of the disease in black patients. In 2000, we performed a retrospective epidemiological study by querying multiple sources to identify all patients with lupus in French Guiana--a part of France in South America having western living conditions, free healthcare and 157,000 inhabitants, most of whom are of African origin. We found 45 patients with pure cutaneous lupus, which included CCLE (mostly discoid), SCLE and bullous lupus. The disease characteristics of these patients exhibited few differences compared with those of the Caucasian patients cited in the literature. However, the age of onset for our patients of African descent was younger than that of Caucasian patients. In contrast to the race-related differences reported for SLE, we found no major differences in terms of demographic, clinical and biological presentation between this cohort of pure cutaneous lupus erythematosus patients of African origin and Caucasian patients with similar forms of lupus.

[Update on Dermatobia hominis: South American furuncular myiasis]. / Le point sur Dermatobia hominis: myiase "furonculeuse" d'Amérique du Sud.

Furuncular myiasis is an infestation of the skin caused by Dermatobia hominis larvae known as "ver macaque" in French Guyana, "berne" in Brazil, "torsalo" in Colombia, or "human botfly" in English-language literature. It has identical features in man and domestic mammals. The primary lesion consists of a boil-like inflammatory papule with a central punctum exuding a serosanguinous discharge. The respiratory sinus of the D. hominis larvae may be visible through the punctum. Myiasis secondary to D. hominis accounts for 10% of imported tropical dermatosis observed in Paris. Diagnosis of furuncular myiasis should be considered in any patient with a history of travel or residence in an endemic area. Treatment depends mainly on mechanical removal that may be facilitated by injection of lidocaine into the lesion or prior application of a 1% solution of ivermectin.

[Leprosy in French Guyana: a retrospective study from 1997 to 2006]. / La lèpre en Guyane française: étude rétrospective de 1997 à 2006.

French Guyana borders Brazil with the second highest number of cases of leprosy in the world. The purpose of this retrospective study of leprosy cases diagnosed in Guyana between January 1997 and December 2006 was to calculate the incidence of the disease and to identify any special clinical and epidemiological features. A total of 90 new cases were recorded during the study period for a mean incidence of 0.53 cases/10,000 inhabitants/year. Since this incidence is below the 1/10,000 threshold defined by the World Health Organization, leprosy is no longer considered as a major public health issue in French Guyana. However it must be noted that while the number of "native leprosy" cases has declined, the number of Brazilian cases has increased (p<0.01). Brazilian leprosy has different epidemiological features, i.e., dominance of multibacillary forms and high incidence in gold panning and western regions of the country where the incidence is over 1/10,000 inhabitants/year.

[Mucocutaneous leishmaniasis due to Leishmania guyanensis: a case report in an HIV-infected patient]. / Leishmaniose cutanéo-muqueuse à Leishmania guyanensis: une observation chez un patient infecté par le VIH.

In French Guiana cutaneous leishmaniasis occurs mainly in the localized form with L. guyanensis accounting for more than 90% of cases. Mucocutaneous leishmaniasis is uncommon (less than 2% of cases) with L. braziliensis accounting for all previously reported cases. The purpose of this report is to describe a case of mucocutaneous leishmaniasis due to L. guyanensis that led to diagnosis of HIV infection in a patient living in French Guiana.

[Endemic treponematoses in Maputo, Mozambique]. / Tréponématoses endémiques à Maputo, Mozambique.

Endemic treponematoses are present in inter-tropical countries in Africa, America, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Epidemiology and transmission of the disease are well known. After eradication in some countries after mass treatment in 1950-60, a resurgence of endemic treponematoses has been reported since 1980-90. We present 2 cases of endemic syphilis from the dermatology unit of the Maputo hospital, the first to be described in Mozambique. The endemic syphilis was probably facilitated by the social conditions induced by the Mozambican civil war between 1975 and 1993.

[Notes on dermatosis in the Lao People's Democratic Republic]. / Notes sur les dermatoses en RDP Lao.

We present a descriptive analysis of dermatoses observed in Lao RDP. A total of 421 patients consulted in 3 provinces. A predominance of infectious dermatoses, rarity of acne and absence of skin cancer were notified. These observations are consistent with what has been observed in developing countries in the tropics. But, the causes of consultation are different from other more developed Asian countries.

Monoclonality or oligoclonality of human herpesvirus 8 terminal repeat sequences in Kaposi's sarcoma and other diseases.

BACKGROUND: Infection with human herpesvirus 8 (HHV8), also termed Kaposi's sarcoma (KS)-associated herpesvirus, is associated with all forms of KS, with primary effusion lymphoma (PEL), and with some forms of multicentric Castleman's disease (MCD), but the pathogenic role of HHV8 in these tumors and the clonal nature of KS are still unclear. The purpose of this study was to examine whether the number of terminal repeats (TRs) contained in the fused TR region of HHV8 could be used as a marker of clonality in HHV8-associated tumors. METHODS: Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multiple-probe Southern blot analysis of the HHV8 TR region were performed on high-molecular-weight DNA obtained from tumoral KS, PEL, and MCD lesions. RESULTS: These analysis showed that the fused TR region contains a large but variable number of TR units (ranging from 16 to 75) and that the viral genome is present as extrachromosomal circular DNA in these tumors in vivo, with occasional ladders of heterogeneous linear termini reflecting lytic replication. All PEL tumors and PEL-derived cell lines as well as some KS tumors contained monoclonal or oligoclonal fused TR fragments; however, the TR region appeared polyclonal in MCD tumors and in a few KS lesions. CONCLUSION: Several KS and PEL lesions are monoclonal expansions of a single infected cell, suggesting that HHV8 infection precedes tumor growth and thus supporting an etiologic role of latent HHV8 in these proliferations. Our finding that nodular KS lesions display all possible patterns of clonality supports the model according to which KS begins as a polyclonal disease with subsequent evolution to a monoclonal process.

[Dermatologic manifestations associated with immune reconstitution syndrome in HIV+ patients starting HAART: a retrospective study in French Guiana]. / Manifestations dermatologiques associées au syndrome de restauration immunitaire du patient VIH+ débutant un traitement antirétroviral: etude rétrospective en Guyane française.

Immune reconstitution syndrome (IRIS) is an unusual inflammatory reaction to an opportunistic infection in an HIV-positive patient. This syndrome occurs when immunity is restored in the first months of an effective highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART). First, we described all patients with a cutaneous form of IRIS. Then, between 1992 and 2004 we conducted a retrospective cohort study comparing Herpes Zoster and Herpes Simplex infections among untreated patients, patients treated by HAART for < or = six months, and patients treated for > six months. We observed three cases of atypical leprosy and three original observations: two of these were fistulisation of lymph node histoplasmosis and tuberculosis, the third one reports the recurrence of a treated cutaneous leishmaniasis. Multivariate analysis showed that, after controlling for age, sex and CD4 counts, patients receiving HAART for < or = six months were more likely to develop Herpes Zoster or herpes simplex infections (p < 0.005). Herpes Simplex and Herpes Zoster infections are the two most frequent dermatological manifestations in our tropical setting. Although mycobacterial infections are more rarely observed than in visceral IRIS, the increased incidence of leprosy may be quite significant when the availability of HAART spreads to developing countries.

[Demodecidosis in a patient infected by HIV: successful treatment with ivermectin]. / Démodécie chez un malade infecté par le VIH: guérison par ivermectine.

INTRODUCTION: Demodex is a saprophyte parasite in mammals. In Man, it is associated with differing clinical profiles (rosacea-like dermatitis, folliculitis and blepharitis). We report a case of demodecidosis in an HIV-infected patient that was successfully treated with ivermectin. CASE REPORT: A man from Laos, infected by HIV and treated for glandular tuberculosis, presented with a prurigenous eruption on the face and the pre-sternal and interscapular areas. Direct examination of scraped product and histopathological examinations confirmed the diagnosis of demodecidosis. Clinical cure was obtained after 2 single cures of ivermectin a one month's distance. DISCUSSION: The features of demodecidosis are often similar to those of rosacea. In immunodeficient patients, the semiology remains the same but the eruption is more abundant. During HIV-infection, demodecidosis occurs at the AIDS stage or with a CD4 count lower than 200/mm3. Many anti-dust mite molecules are used to treat the disease but frequently lead to irritation. Administration of a single cure of ivermectin, repeated if necessary, appears to be an interesting alternative to contact anti-dust mite agents.

Disseminated cutaneous leishmaniasis due to Leishmania guyanensis: case of a patient with 425 lesions.

Disseminated cutaneous leishmaniasis is characterized by the presence of a large (> or =10) number of lesions at several anatomic sites (head, limbs, and trunk). Most of the lesions are small, papular, and appear simultaneously with or secondarily to one or several ulcerated lesions of localized cutaneous leishmaniasis. We report the first case of disseminated cutaneous leishmaniasis in French Guiana. It concerns a 24-year-old woman who tested negative for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The disease began with three lesions that became ulcerated. One week later, multiple papulo-nodular lesions appeared. We counted a total of 425 lesions. Leishmania were observed in the lesions. The species involved was L. guyanensis, which has never been described in a case of disseminated cutaneous leishmaniasis. The patient was rapidly cured by a single course of pentamidine. Disseminated cutaneous leishmaniasis should be distinguished from other types of leishmaniasis with multiple lesions. These include anergic diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis, post-kala-azar leishmaniasis, and leishmaniasis associated with HIV infection.

Seasonal fluctuations of incubation, healing delays, and clinical presentation of cutaneous leishmaniasis in French Guiana.

An investigation was conducted to determine whether seasonal variations affected the development of cutaneous leishmaniasis. Data from 499 cases treated between July 1994 and December 1998 were analyzed. The interval between infection and consultation and between treatment and clinical cure varied significantly between cases with an incubation period during the dry season compared with the rainy season (P < 0.001). When the incubation period occurred during the dry season, the standard pentamidine isethionate treatment seemed to be less effective (i.e.. the odds ratio for failure was 1.9 [1.1-3.4], P = 0.01). The presence of lymphangitis was more frequent during the dry season (i.e., the odds ratio was 0.26 [0.15-0.45], P < 0.001). These results suggested that the observed seasonal variations were due to variations in the host/parasite balance. Converging indirect elements that suggest a role for variations in solar ultraviolet radiation are discussed.

[A case of coinfection by Balantidium coli and HIV in French Guiana]. / Un cas de co-infection par Balantidium coli et VIH en Guyane Française.

A case of balantidial dysentery is reported in a patient infected with the HIV in French Guiana. This case is the first described in medical literature. The patient presented also a disseminated histoplasmosis. Immunosuppression probably favoured the evolution of asymptomatic carriage to clinical dysentery. This clinical case did not present any complications. Treatment with doxycycline had to be carried out for 20 days in order to obtain a clinical and parasitological cure.

[Local administration of ivermectin for the treatment of Cochliomyia hominivorax's myiasis]. / Traitement des myiases dues à Cochliomyia hominivorax par application locale d'ivermectine.

Myiasis with Cochliomyia homonivorax induce sensitive and nauseating cutaneous ulcerations. The usual treatment is limited to the mechanical extraction of the larvae. The authors have made a report on the treatment of C. hominivorax by local application of ivermectin. The use of this molecule paralyses and then kills the larvae. This allows rapid alleviation of pain and makes the extraction of the larvae easier.

[Effectiveness of 20% salicylated vaseline in the treatment of profuse tungiasis. Report of 8 cases in French Guiana]. / Efficacité de la vaseline salicylée à 20% dans le traitement des tungoses profuses. A propos de huit observations en Guyane Française.

The treatment of tungiasis involves the mechanic extraction of the gravid females of Tunga penetrans. We have observed on 8 patients profuse tungiasis diagnosed in the centre hospitalier de Cayenne. We have carried out different types of treatment, including the occlusive application of 20% of salicylated vaseline during 12 or 24 hours. This procedure causes the death of the parasites and facilitates their extraction.

[Cutaneous manifestations of erysipeloid septicemia]. / Manifestations cutanées d'une maladie du rouget du porc septicémique.

BACKGROUND: Rouget du porc, or swine erysipelas, usually occurs in man as Rosenbach's erysipeloid. Septicemic forms are more uncommon and can be associated with dermal involvement far from the site of inoculation. We report a case in a patient given corticosteroid therapy for systematic lupus. CASE REPORT: A 50-year-old farmer was seen with fever, infiltrative erythema of the long finger and dorsal lesions on the ring finger which developed after a skin lesions caused by a duck. The diagnosis of septicemic rouget du porc was made after isolating the germ from blood cultures. There was no associated endocarditis. Fever and skin lesions totally regressed after treatment with ceftriaxone. DISCUSSION: The diagnosis of erysipeloid was supported by epidemiologic arguments and characteristic clinical features. The corticosteroid therapy was probably a favoring factor for development of septicemia. Positive diagnosis is usually obtained from blood culture but the germ can be isolated from skin biopsies at the site of inoculation. Our patient was free of endocarditis which should always be suspected. Endocarditis is frequent and often fatal. Intravenous high-dose penicillin G is recommanded treatment.

[Short treatment of donovanosis with azithromycin]. / Traitement court de la donovanose par l'azithromycine.

INTRODUCTION: Azithromycine is recommended in the treatment of donovanosis with a 7-day treatment cycle. We report the efficacy of a single cure of 1 gram in two patients. OBSERVATIONS: Four patients, presenting with donovanosis, were treated with azithromycine according to 2 regimens. The first used 500 mg/d the molecule during 1 week, the second used azithromycine in single cure of 1 gram. The latter led to the complete cure of 2 patients. DISCUSSION: Many antibiotics are used in the treatment of donovanosis. Since 1996, Australian authors have used azithromycine in this indication. A single dose of this molecule appears effective in recent and confined donovanosis.

[Infective dermatitis and recurrent strongyloidiasis in a child]. / Infective dermatitis associée à une anguillulose récurrente chez l'enfant.

INTRODUCTION: Infective dermatitis is a chronic childhood dermatosis, associated with HTLV-1 infection. We report the observation of a young Haitian girl in French Guyana. OBSERVATION: An 8 year-old girl presented recurring dermatosis on the scalp and armpits since she was 2 years old. The initial clinical examination showed the presence of centro-facial micro-papules, associated with a nasal pyodermatitis. A bacteriological culture isolated a Staphylococcus aureus. Phenotypic analysis did not indicate any production of exfoliatin or leucocidin. Serologic tests for HTLV1 were positive. In addition, the child presented recurring symptomatic anguillulosis, despite numerous antihelmintic treatments. A clinical and parasitological cure was obtained with a monthly treatment of ivermectin. COMMENTS: This is the first case of infective dermatitis reported in french Guyana. The clinical analysis that led to this diagnosis showed a minor form of this dermatosis. The phenotypic analysis of the Staphylococcus aureus isolated from the cutaneous lesions did not indicate any factors of virulence habitually associated with pyodermatitis in Guyana. This is the first case of chronic digestive anguillulosis (a parasitic complaint usually associated with an adult HTLV-1 infection) associated with an infective dermatitis.